A story always has a beginning
by lozzypoo
Summary: One-Shot. Takes place years earlier before Riki becomes Iason's pet. A mongrel child, no older then nine is found at the gates of Guardian with no name or explanation on how he got there. This is the beginning of Riki's story. Read and Review.


Hey there everyone. I am in Ai No Kusabi mode right now and a thought just hit me that has manifested itself it a story. Anyway, I have read a lot of Ai no Kusabi stories about Riki's time as Iason's pet or the events that happen after Dana Burn (which I love, by the way.) But there are no stories about the years before Riki's imprisonment, when Riki was still a little boy. Well here it is.

Summary- Takes place years earlier before Riki becomes Iason's pet. A mongrel child, no older then nine is found at the gates of Guardian. A mongrel child that will grow up to be the leader of the most fearless gang in Ceres, then ultimately become the lover of the most powerful person in the world.

Enjoy.

A story always has a beginning.

The night stood dark and still. Nothing stirred in the frost bitten night on the western boarder of Ceres, the forgotten city of Amoi. The streets and ally ways were void of all life. Even the rats and street dogs didn't grace this side of the slums. It was said to be a cursed, foredoomed place. Everything was quite, except for the small figure that pounded his tiny fists on the large, ominous steel doors in front of him.

'Hey! Open up.' The runty boy screamed loudly and continued to thrash on the immense gate, hoping someone inside would hear his pleas. He knew what this place was. It was Guardian. The mongrel institution of Amoi. An institute to 'help' the natives of the slums.

With one last bang, the dark-haired child slid down the cold grey doors and brought his legs up to his chest, quivering as he curled himself up tight, fighting for the meager body heat that he had managed to save. The temperature had dropped a few more degrees, if that was possible. Frost covered shop windows and melting ice dripped from roof gutters. And on top of that it was raining. Water rained from the grey heavens and soaked everything in sight; nothing was safe from the downpour, not even the small mongrel child.

The boy's breath came out in puffs of condensation and curled up even tighter, small arms wrapping around thin legs. How he got here, he was uncertain. The only memory he had was of rough hands shoving him out of a car in front of the solid doors and speeding away without so much as an explanation. Though, he may be a child, he wasn't ignorant to the ways of the world. Guardian was the foster centre all mongrel children in Ceres were sent to until they reached their teenage years. It was a way for Midas to keep a firm hand on the citizens of the forgotten city.

In other words, it was just a system used to catalogue and tag the dirty rejects to keep them in check.

The young, black-haired boy breathed out again before the large steel doors opened heavily and ascended upward, letting a blast of blinding light out into the dark world and stopped with a loud boom. The boy uncurled himself, as much as his frozen body would let him and tried to stand up. He pushed wet, unusual black hair from his equally unique obsidian eyes as two men dressed in white uniforms came down the long, steel ramp.

They stopped in front of him and smaller of the two stepped forward.

'What's your name child.'?

The mongrel inside him was screaming at him to run from this place but he stood his ground. 'I don't have one, Sir.' He said through trembling lips, more from the cold then anything else.

'Don't have a name? Everyone has a name.' The man's eyebrows knitted together in what looked like confusion.

'They took me away from my mother before she could name me. They used to call me L-2322.' The mongrel said with an empty expression on his face. The smaller man's face became even more confused.

'Do you know where you are.'?

'Yes.' eyes locked with the man in front of him and the other man leaned forward and whispered something.

'How unusual. Look at his hair and eyes, Eiki. A double black mongrel.' The tall one said in fascination. 'I have only heard rumours about their rarity. Some say they bring misfortune.'

He nodded and looked down at dark-haired kid blankly. 'Do you know how you got here, boy.'?

'N..No.'

'You are on the holy ground of Guardian, mongrel. We are to keep you here until you reach the teenage years of thirteen then you are on your own. It is up to you to survive because once you leave this place, you are on your own and believe me kid, the streets of Ceres are unkind to those who are weak.'

'I'm not afraid.' The young one said with rising determination and his onyx eyes never left chestnut ones. The man, Eiki regarded the boy for a moment longer before a light seemed to switch on behind his brown eyes and he nodded and turned around.

'Riki. That will be your name from now on.' The boy eyes widened and stared at the man's retreating, broad back. Had the man just given him a name?

'R..Riki.'

'It means 'strength' in the old language. And as far as I see…' He paused without turning around. '…You have it.'

The nearly name Riki watched him go as Eiki said to the other man.

'Bring him.' He walked past the other man, who stepped forward and put a hand on the back of Riki's neck. With a little push, the man forced Riki forward up the ramp as he glanced back at the foreboding, steel door as it closed behind him with a deafening bang.

The end.

Hey, how did you like that? Riki actually does mean 'Strength' in Japanese and Eiki means 'courage'. I wasn't surprised when I looked it up because Riki is both a strong-willed character in both the manga and the anime. Also L-2322 is actually the dates of the star sign, Leo because, in my opinion Riki's personality definitely fits with Leo. Anyway remember to read and review. Comments in any shape or form are welcome.


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